Rapture
by ReNut
Summary: He had no time to protest before she said "I need you to sleep with her". Alternate version of 4x14. NBD.
1. She's a Genius

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_Inspiration had to hit me in 2am, and that's what actually came out. It will be kind of short (At least I hope it would). Hope you guys like it. Reviews will be appreciated :)_

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**She's a Genius**

Sometimes, when he was alone, Nate felt kind of useless. At least lately he did. Nate rolled the red ball across the pool table and couldn't help but thinking that every single one of his friends is on their own little journey, that magically doesn't include him. His father was giving him a headache and they haven't spoke for a week now, which made him feel more of a let down than he already thought he was. He heard Raina giggling from Chuck's bedroom and rolled his eyes. Chuck was busy with the upcoming sale of Bass industries, Serena was busy with her jail buddy, Dan was busy at getting mad over Serena and won't return his calls, Vanessa was no where to be seen and Blair was working all day long at W. He was officially irrelevant. He took his coat off the table and turned towards the door.

"Chuck, I'm heading out!" he yelled as hard as he could. They didn't even hear him.

He closed the door shut and went out with no purpose, he had no where to go to. His phone rang for the fourth time today, and he didn't even bother to answer this time. It was probably his father's parole officer; no one else would call him anyway. He sighed and decided to at least check who the disturbing caller is. Surprisingly, Blair's name flashed upon the cell phone's screen.

It was extremely odd since Blair was working like a maniac for the past two weeks and because they're not even talking anymore, she would call him once a month to make sure Chuck is around or anything that doesn't really involve him. He frowned at the cell phone and pressed the send button. Whatever Blair wanted, he wanted to know what it is. He had nothing better to do anyway.

"Blair", he said once she picked up the phone.

"Hey Na… Where's the damn stapler? Right, of course it's on the floor, this damn place… Nate, let me call you back, alright?"

"Ugh, sure", he sighed while she hung up on him.

He was starving and his curiosity over Blair's request or whatever it was (she did call four times) killed him. Why not kill two birds with one Archibald? There was a nice Chinese restaurant Blair likes (or liked, maybe it changed since high school) near by, and their take out service was fast enough. It was probably lunch time at W as well.

"Blair!" was all she heard over the past thirty minutes since everybody felt the need to call her when they needed her to solve their stupid problems.  
Rome was yelling at the phone like a psycho and none of them could handle the pressure. Epperly kept throwing papers and tasks at both of her interns.

"Will you keep it down, Rome?" Blair complained aloud. What kind of a name is Rome anyway? It's a great name only when it's referred to Italy's capital city. At least she knew how to dress.

She threw her hands into the air in frustration and closed her eyes tightly shut for a second. She breathed in and out. She was going to be alright, even though she didn't even have time for lunch, which apparently started three minutes ago.

The smell of eggrolls filled her nostrils. As in the special eggrolls from her favorite Chinese restaurant, she could recognize the smell everywhere. She opened her eyes carefully, relieved to find out the office was nearly empty and Nate Archibald standing in the hallway, utterly amused.

"Lunch?" he asked, waving with the bag of food.

"I love you, seriously", she smiled at him and snatched the bag out of his hand.

"Whoa, hungry are we?" he smiled to himself and followed her to the office's desk.

"We're not even allowed to eat in here, but I honestly don't even care. W is so intense. I wasn't even supposed to eat lunch. Fuckloads of clients will wait", she shook her head while digging in the bag, obviously looking for the eggrolls.

"I figured", He said while examining her. She looked like she hasn't slept in days.

"Can't you take the day off or something?" he asked her.

She took a large bite of her eggroll and shook her head no. He sighed. Apparently Blair wasn't the one to get him out of his boredom today. He watched her eating quietly. She focused on her food and he could sense she was probably starving, work probably exhausted her. He kept staring at her little figure digging bites into the eggroll and remembered how cute she was when she actually found the time to eat.

"Quit staring Archibald. These eggrolls are going to cost me a lot of work out later", she said while throwing a napkin at him. He chuckled and threw the napkin back at her.

"So… you called earlier?" he gestured to his cell phone.

"Right. I was just wondering if you heard anything from… _Dan_", she nearly whispered his name.

"You mean Chuck, right?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"No, I meant Dan, as in cabbage patch, Brooklyn? Ring a bell?" she said looking around the room like she's afraid anyone would hear her.

"What aren't you guys telling me?" he examined her face expression, which now changed into a little smile with a blush.

"Nothing… we watched a couple… or six movies during the winter break. Brooklyn's alright".

Nate's eyes widened. Are they really friends? Was world war III on the run and nobody told him as well? Either way, he was actually happy for them. He always felt they would be great as friends.

"That's cool. Honestly, I'm glad you guys worked it out", he said with a hint of bitterness, which Blair caught immediately.

"What's going on with you anyway? How's the Captain?" she sent him an encouraging smile. All of a sudden she felt guilty for not being there for him in the past two years. They barely even spoke to each other outside their friends' circle, which was kind of sad since they used to be best friends and basically grew up together.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I don't even want to know. He's working with Russell Thorpe and I kind of blamed him because I thought he was betraying Chuck, and now he won't talk to me", He sighed heavily.

"Oh wow, I didn't even know-" was all Blair managed to say before her phone rang, Epperly's number appearing on the screen. "God, so sorry", she whispered to Nate before picking up.

Nate watched how Blair's face turned red in a matter of seconds as the conversation between her and Epperly went down.  
"Why can't Rome do that?" Blair almost yelled into the phone. She was used to dictate people, not the other way around, so it was kind of amusing to see her fold against another person's orders when she said "Alright, I'm sorry, I'll do that as soon as possible". She hung up seconds after.

Nate gave her a questioning look. "I just can't deal with her anymore; she's stressed all day long and I'm paying the price. Does this woman ever get laid?" she said while pinching her nose bridge.

"Guess not. Women tend to go mental without sex for too long just like guys do", he shrugged.

"Was I like that when we were together?" she asked him while getting up and cleaning her desk out of the food leftovers.

"Well yeah. You would call me in 2am and ask me to come over, mostly after stressful days", he chuckled.

"I don't even remember that! Did you come over when I asked you to?" she questioned, her back to him. He was glad she couldn't see him blushing like a little girl for a second.

"Of course I did. If I wouldn't show up you would ignore me for two whole days and won't even kiss me", he laughed this time, shaking his head due the memories filling his head all of a sudden. Angry Blair was a hot one.

"I guess you're right" she said with a weird tone, which Nate recognized as the scheming tone. He could practically see the smoke coming out from her head. She sat back at her chair quietly, sending him a creepy smile which only meant one thing - trouble.

"You've met Epperly, right?" she asked him, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Yeah, at the W party last week, why?" he asked carefully.

"She's kind of hot, isn't she?" she widened her smile.

"Are you switching sides?" he answered with wit. He was never smart enough to avoid her tricky questions; maybe his answer just spared him her craziness.

"You'd want me to, wouldn't you? You little brat", she chuckled softly and sent him a creepy warning look right after.

"Fine, she's hot, why do I care again?" he answered with defeat.

That little spark of triumph in her eyes answered his question immediately. He had no time to protest before she said "I need you to sleep with her".

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_In case you were wondering, this isn't a one shot. So... to be continued :)_


	2. Play With Me

_So I'm not really happy with the outcome of this one, it's just full on dialogs, but I guess it's pretty necessary in this stage. I wanted to thank each and every one of you guys for reviewing, it's really encouraging and helpful! (I also apologize for my awful grammar, English isn't my first language :P) So of course, R&R and enjoy!_

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**Play With Me**

Nate chuckled for a few moments and then looked up at Blair, her face remained the same. She was serious.

"Wait, what?" he asked with confusion.

"Focus Archibald, I need you to sleep with Epperly", she repeated herself.

"No Blair, I'm not some kind of a man whore", he stated.

She eyed him with her judging little look and wore her creepy smile again.

"Fine, not anymore at least. Why would I sleep with her?"

"Because…" she whispered, got up from her chair and sat on his lap "I asked you to", she rested her head on his chest. Blair knew exactly how to pull his strings in order for him to agree. Sitting on his lap never failed her before, and it wasn't about to now.

"But… I…" was all he could say. Her hair smelled like coconut which caused him to lose his mind for a moment.

"Pretty please!" she squealed like a five year old and jumped a little on his lap. He wasn't that stupid, he knew exactly she might pull every single trick from her sleeve until she'll get him to accept her request, but he was going to be easy this time. He didn't mind scheming if it meant he'll be occupied.

"Why do I feel like Santa?" he chuckled and placed his hand on her lower back to steady her from all the jumping.

"Because you're granting me a wish", she sent him a wide smile.

"I can't believe you're pimping me out. I'm your ex boyfriend, that's totally inappropriate", he sighed and sniffed her hair once more.

"It's not like I forced you, right? Right?" she poked his chest with her forefinger.

"Not at all. You're such a dictator of taste" he teased.

"There's one Cabbage Patch and that's enough, you don't have to repeat his wisdom words", she glared at him.

He smiled and kissed the top of her head. He really missed having her in his lap and those little conversations they used to share. She snuggled deeper into him. The smell of his aftershave hasn't changed in the last few years, and it brought up sweet memories.

"Is that a yes?" she asked playfully.

"It is. But you're doing the planning; I was never any good at that. I'll deliver the manhood", he smirked to himself.

"You may have just saved my life. I'm going to help you save yours by being a 'dicator of taste'", she poked him again.

"You're always a dictator. What is it now?"

"Promise me this, the minute you get home, you're throwing this shirt into the fireplace", she said while she grabbed a button, ripped it out of the shirt and tossed it aside with disgust. "Even the buttons are plaid!" she grumbled.

"What's wrong with plaid?", he protested.

"Exactly. We stop dating and you're wearing plaid? Have I taught you nothing?" she rolled her eyes.

"What? I thought it was fashionable! Besides, Chuck's suits were never better", he chuckled softly and pulled her closer to him by wrapping his arms around her.

"That's because he would never let me throw them out of the window, like I wanted to do for so long", she answered, welcoming his arms around her. They sat there in complete silence for a few minutes, each of them feeling guilty for not doing this more often. Blair actually fell asleep for a minute before the sound of heels knocking on the floor woke her up.

"You've never told me _this _is your boyfriend", was all Epperly said before entering her office.

"Shit", Blair quickly got up from Nate's lap. She grabbed his wrist and dragged him to Epperly's office.

"Actually, he's not my boyfriend. He's not anyone's boyfriend, right?" she asked Nate with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Right", he answered, terrified but utterly amused.

Epperly didn't even look at them; she was reading something and refused to care.

"Didn't look like it", she said a minute later, dismissing them with her hand.

Blair grabbed Nate's wrist for the second time and dragged him into the copy machines room.

"This is not good. It could have worked for a completely different plan, but it won't benefit ours", she mused aloud and ignored his confused look.

"I told you, you're doing the planning, it's _your_ plan. And what do you mean?" he shoved his hands into the pocket of his coat.

"I could have told her you are my boyfriend, and then you would seduce her, and I could blackmail her, or make her feel like a guilty slut. But it's a entirely different plan".

"Which would guarantee you at least a week off", he suggested.

"True", she answered, examining him with her scheming dark eyes.

"So… good being your boyfriend again", he smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her cheek real quick before turning to leave the room.

"Wait you little weasel", she pulled on his sleeve. "A few days as my fake boyfriend, are you really up for it?" This time, she really cared for his answer.

"I guess I am. I've been your boyfriend for years, A few more days won't do no harm, right?" he raised his eyebrows. She chuckled and poked his chest playfully for the third time today.

"You should really stop doing that", he teased.

"I can't; the plaid is giving me the creeps. My boyfriend doesn't wear plaid, are we clear?" she pouted at him.

"Fine, you possessive little…" he shifted his gaze to his wristwatch.

"Fuck, I'm late for lunch, I'll see you later", he leaned to kiss her cheek for the second time and left the room.

Blair leaned against the door and sighed. She had to organize her planright, or it might cost her job. She walked out of the room straight to Epperly's office, she was still reading from the same sheet.

"So I kind of lied earlier", Blair confessed dramatically. Epperly didn't budge.

"Actually, he _is_my boyfriend, we're just keeping it a secret for a while", she carried on; noticing Epperly tuned her out a long time ago.

"Please, I couldn't care less about your personal affairs. I'm really trying to read this for the past ten minutes", she said, not even bothering to remove the sheet out of her face.

Blair hissed some of the best insults she knew and got back to her desk. This is going to be harder than she thought.

"Hey man, sorry I'm late", Nate said before he sat across of Dan.

"It's OK, I'm not waiting long", Dan returned with a smile.

"So… I heard about you and Blair", Nate raised his eyebrows while he signaled the waitress.

"What did you hear?" Dan narrowed his eyes.

"That you guys are friends or something?" Nate asked with suspicion. Apparently he was right to be suspicious, or at least he thought so when he noticed Dan was relieved for some reason.

"Well, yeah. We went to the movies several times", Dan replied while looking away from Nate, searching for an unknown object to be sophisticated enough to distract him.

"You guys are_ just_… friends, right?" Nate asked after he ordered their lunch. He wasn't really hungry since he ate recently, but he didn't want to offend Dan. They decided to eat lunch together hours before he went to see Blair.

Dan ignored his question and pretended to check his phone for messages.

"Hey, you can tell me, what ever it is", Nate slightly touched Dan's arm to draw his attention.

"What? I'm sorry I wasn't listening". Much like Nate, Dan was a horrible liar, and a horrible liar knows another.

"I asked if you and Blair are just friends", Nate was losing patience.

Much to his surprise, he wasn't looking forward to Dan's answer. Something inside of him was waiting for Dan to say 'of course we're just friends' or 'why would you ever think otherwise?' and get it over with.

"Actually..." This was a beginning of a sentence Nate wasn't thrilled to hear.

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_What did you think? Any specific requests for next chapters? Let me know!_


	3. One Foot Wrong

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_So, today's my birthday, and I had this kickass inspiration moment to write this chapter. Thank you all for your lovely reviews, they're wonderful! Keep them coming :) Enjoy!_

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**One Foot Wrong**

"There you go", said the waitress when she placed their food plates on the table. Nate didn't even thank her. Instead he burned imaginary holes on Dan's face when he stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"You know man, actually it's nothing", Dan shook his head and poked his stake with his fork in an obvious sudden lack of appetite.

Nate sighed and played with his food as well. He had to build a tactic. He didn't want to push Dan into telling him, he hoped Dan will come around and tell him eventually, so he kept quiet and stared at his plate. A few minutes later Dan finally looked at Nate, who secretly smiled to himself, his plan seemed to work.

"Wait, you're not going investigate?" Dan asked in confusion.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't feel like it", Nate simply answered and kept playing with his food.

"Oh, ok", Dan answered quietly and took a sip out of his beer.

Two minutes was all it took for Dan to break. "Fine, I haven't told anyone yet, you promise to keep this between us?" Dan asked with a serious expression.

"Of course", Nate answered with triumph.

"I have no idea where to begin, so I'll just make it simple. We kissed", Dan confessed quietly.

Nate's heart sank. By thinking about how to make Dan confess, he totally forgot about what he might say. He was surprised by his reaction, he wasn't sure if he was mad about the fact that neither of them told him, or the fact that they actually kissed. Nate fought with the lump in his throat. "W-what?" was all he managed to say.

"I know, it came out of no where for me too. You see, we went out for drinks the other day, and we got completely drunk, and I kissed her", Dan said while staring at his plate. His food suddenly became very interesting.

"But… you guys are still talking, right? She asked about you today", Nate answered and immediately regret he mentioned the fact that Blair was interested in hearing about Dan.

Dan's eyes widened. "She did? I mean, we spoke to each other after that night, but we never talked about the kiss. I'm not even sure she remembers it happened", Dan expression looked a little too sad to Nate.

"I guess she doesn't remember", Nate said, his mouth in a straight line.

"Or she prefers not to talk about it because it was meaningless to her", Dan shook his head.

"Probably. That sounds a lot like Blair", he lied, Blair won't ignore anything like that.

Nate kept staring at Dan, whose face was still down, when he realized what Dan's last sentence was.

"Wait, did it mean anything to _you_?" he asked carefully, not ready to hear his answer. Dan finally looked at Nate, his eyes screaming the answer. He nodded. Something inside of Nate snapped. That gave him the answer, he was definitely mad at the fact they kissed.  
Nate opened his mouth to say something, which probably would came out rude, but the ringing of his phone saved him from saying anything. He pressed the send button without looking at the caller's name.

"Hello?", he said while sending an apologetic look to Dan, who was still shocked by his own wordless answer.

"Nate!", Blair's voice demanded.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" he asked, not relieved to find out she was the caller.

"Huge crisis, I need to see you tonight. Meet me for drinks at the Empire later?" she asked, her voice indicating she was worried.

"What could possibly go wrong in an hour?" he asked in confusion while eyeing Dan, who just realized who he was talking to.

"Can't explain, I have to go. The Empire, 9 o'clock, be there", she said before hanging up. Nate frowned at his phone. There's a reason he never really schemed before, he just didn't get what was all the hype about.

"Was that..?" Dan asked a few moments later. Nate forgot he was there for a second.

"Yeah. I have to go man, talk to you later", Nate threw a fifty at the table, got up and paced quickly out of the restaurant. Why would Dan have feelings for Blair? And why the hell did it bother him? He wanted her to be happy, and he never really approved her relationship with Chuck, so why not Dan? He's a good guy, he'll keep her safe, and he dated her best friend. Wait, he dated her best friend, who is supposed to be the love of his life. Why does it feel like Dan is basically always screwing him even though he's his best friend? First with Serena and now with Blair. But it's not like he's in a relationship with her or anything, he doesn't have a say about this. All of this was confusing enough for him and it was probably the most thinking he has done recently. He decided to take a nap as soon as he gets home, and so he did.

Few hours later, Nate found himself in front of his closet, desperately trying to find a shirt which isn't plaid. Apparently Blair was right, plaid was all over his closet, and it took him a few minutes to find another shirt.

"Nice shirt", she greeted him as soon as he arrived to the Empire's bar.

"Thanks, I'm taking my 'girlfriend' seriously", he replied with a smile.

She patted on the stool beside her and he sat down. He ordered them both a drink. A quiet moment passed before Nate felt he's blurting something out, he just couldn't help it. "What were you doing kissing Dan?"

Her eyes widened just like Dan's were when he told him she's interested in how he's doing, causing a sick feeling of déjà vu to cross Nate.

"Shh, keep it down! How do you about that?" she asked, obviously horrified.

"Dan told me. Does that mean you remember the kiss?" he asked her. Why was everything getting worse by the minute?

"Of course I do, I thought he didn't!" she shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is such a mess", she added a moment later.

Nate has nothing else to add. Anything he will say might play against him. In which game exactly? He didn't know.

"It's just… he's cabbage patch. Serena's cabbage patch, and that's a territory I shouldn't be crossing anytime soon, or ever", she whispered the second half of the sentence.

Nate stirred the ice cubes in his vodka tonic and didn't answer for a minute.

"It's between you guys, I'm not getting in the middle of it", he finally said coldly.

"Hey", she replied with a smile and pounded his chest playfully, "What's with the attitude? You don't have to be all protective and jealous like a real boyfriend", she chuckled.

He was infuriated to hear her say 'jealous', but he didn't want her to see that. "I'm not jealous. Honestly, you guys have my blessing or whatever", he forced a weak smile at her. She smiled back at him and murmured something about the fact that she and Dan would never work and he doesn't know what he's talking about. Nate didn't even listen; he banned the whole Dan and Blair idea, at least for now. He didn't want to hear about it.

"Speaking of blessings… Apparently we have Epperly's", she rolled her eyes.

"What do you mean? Is this the crisis?" he raised his eyebrows.

"It is. I tried to save our 'relationship' status with a lame story; I don't think she bought it though. We have to make her see we're an actual couple before you seduce her", she said with her scheming tone again. He was getting used to that pretty quickly.

"I'll just bring you lunch again tomorrow, and we'll play like a convincing couple", he winked at her.

"That's a great idea", she said while clanking her glass with his.

For some reason, Nate felt like this was the tip of the iceberg, and he has a huge block of ice to reveal before he's done.


	4. Suddenly I See

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_____Action time! I'm going to thank you all for reviewing once more, just because it's really warming my heart :) Enjoy this one and don't forget to review! (And I apologize about my grammar, which still suck :P)_

**Suddenly I See**

Nate was late for the lunch date with Blair at W. He couldn't sleep all night, every time he tried, a picture of Dan nodding popped right into his head and bothered the hell out of him with no significant reason. He decided that a jogging session might help him be tired and get some sleep. He ran through Central Park, trying not to think about anything Dan or Blair related. He failed miserably when he passed by the duck pond, Blair's favorite place in the whole park, the same place he chose to kiss her at when they got back together for what it looked like the last time. He stopped near the pond and stared at the freezing water. Panting heavily, he picked up a tiny rock and tossed it forcefully as hard as he could. The rock didn't even bounce once.

He hissed a curse and started running away from that place. He wasn't planning a reunion with that duck pond anytime soon. He got back home half an hour later, and found Chuck escorting Raina out for the fifth time this week. He stared at his buddy and sighed.

"What?" Chuck asked while picking up the pool stick. He aimed to no where in particular, he seemed distracted.

"What would you do if you found out Blair is in a serious relationship?" Nate blurted out after a moment.

Chuck didn't seem to respond to his question, he just stared at the pool stick. He finally looked up at Nate and frowned in confusion.

"Where is this question coming from?" he asked and eyed Nate with suspicion.

"No where. I mean, would you flip and get jealous or would you give them your blessing?" Nate asked with curiosity.

"Assuming Blair won't end up with a worm like Carter Baizen or a hobo, and she's in the hands of a good guy, I guess my blessing will be given", Chuck shrugged. Nate's eyebrows rose in surprise. Even Chuck would give her his blessing, he doesn't even care anymore. In that moment, Nate realized that it's not the fact that Blair might date Dan; it's the fact she might date _anyone_. Dan just made the whole thing worse. He was officially jealous. But he won't stand in her, or their way of happiness. He gets to act like her boyfriend for a day, which will be enough; it might be something he needs to get out of his system.

He fell onto his bed with zero energy, and placed his headphones on; he might as well listen to some music to pass the time if he wasn't going to fall asleep. He did fall asleep eventually, and now he was late for their lunch date.

He took a quick shower and picked a shirt, which again, wasn't plaid.  
He practically ran over to the Chinese restaurant because he couldn't think of any alternate food she might like. That was the cost of them not talking for a while, he felt like he barely knew her anymore.

"Where were you?", she asked, obviously mad, when he finally showed up at the W building, panting and holding out the food bag as an excuse.

"Please, they own the fastest take out service in town. You totally overslept", she glared at him and snatched the bag out of his hand. He chuckled and followed her, at least she still knew him very well.

"Okay, we're going to the dining hall. We'll sit close to Epperly. When we're crossing that door, you're becoming my boyfriend until she's gone, you understand?" she asked enthusiastically.

He sent her a wide smile. "With pleasure, ma'am".

"Good. Follow my lead Archibald, don't mess this up", she said while turning on her heel on her way to the dining hall.

There were at least two hundred people in that dinning hall, chatting and eating. It took them a few minutes to track Epperly down. Lucky for them, she was sitting alone.

Blair grabbed Nate's hand and intertwined her fingers with his while pacing slowly towards Epperly, giving her a chance to take a glimpse of them. She did, and even invited them over by signaling with her hand. Blair smiled to herself satisfied, things were going well.

"Hi there", Epperly greeted them, smiling. It was probably the first time Epperly ever smiled to Blair in two weeks. She squeezed Nate's hand, approving him to talk.

"Hey, I brought Blair some lunch, I'm sure she'd share. Do you like Chinese?" Nate winked and gave Epperly his charming smile. No one could resist that smile, except for Blair, who learnt over the years that he used that smile whenever he needed something, so she was basically immune. Epperly fell for it though, because he noticed her face turned pink for a moment.

"Nate is it?" she asked him. He nodded and smiled at her again. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his ribs, caused by Blair's tiny elbow. He took a bite of his bottom lip and turned his head over to her. She wore that creepy smile again.

"Honey…" she wrapped her arms around his neck and pretended to lean in to kiss him, but her mouth aimed to his left ear.

"Stop flirting you idiot, you're supposed to be my boyfriend", she whispered quietly and gave him a quick peck on the lips, which was way too long to be actually quick, before releasing him from her hold. Nate couldn't see straight, and he didn't understand a word she said earlier when her lips touched his. He was anywhere but the dining hall at the W building. Blair just stared at him, not revealing any emotion.

Epperly coughed a couple of times, causing them to break their stare.

"So what's in the bag?" Her question snapped Nate back to reality.

"Some eggrolls, fried rice and chicken…" he answered quietly, still not completely concentrated in the conversation. Blair didn't say a word either; she just stared at Epperly digging into the bag.

"Do you guys mind if I take this? My lunch break is always shorter than everyone else's", she said while getting up and grabbing the whole bag of food.

"Sure", Blair raised an eyebrow at the situation, but Epperly didn't hear her, she was already gone. Nate and Blair stared at each other for another moment before bursting in laughter. They laughed for two whole minutes, struggling to breathe in the process.

"Bitch took our lunch", Blair finally said when she calmed down.

"She did. Didn't she?" Nate sighed in disappointment. Blair chuckled and touched her stomach, which growled by now.

"Speaking of the devil, she's coming back", Nate announced quickly before capturing Blair's face in his palms. He pressed his nose to hers and waited.

"What are you doing?" she whispered to him.

"Pretending to kiss you until she's gone", he whispered back and tightened his hold on her face. A moment later, Epperly left the room while yelling on her cell phone.

"Is she still here?" Blair asked him. He slightly nodded. He lied to her and enjoyed every second of it, because it meant he was able to hold her close to him like that, dangerously close to her lips.

"She's coming in our direction", he warned her when he felt bold enough to actually kiss her for real this time. She nodded and he gently pressed his lips over hers. She must have been a great actress, or at least he thought so, because she gave in into the kiss pretty quickly, moving her lips along with his in a slow rhythm. Her kisses became more urgent and eager and she parted her lips, allowing him to insert his tongue. There he was, kissing Blair Waldorf for the second time today, and he cherished every moment until she pulled away breathlessly, her eyes wide with surprise and her lips swollen.

"Where is she?" she asked him, refusing to look at him.

"Gone, I guess", he answered and stared at her pink full lips. He wanted to kiss her again so badly.

Blair snapped out of her fake ashamed behavior and looked at him, shrugging and giving him that my-scheme-totally-worked smile he hated.

"What?" he asked even though he already knew what it was all about.

"Nothing. That was totally convincing, there's no way she didn't see us. The entire room is still looking", she shifted her gaze to the table behind them, where people stared at them and gossiped like it's the air they breath.

"Yeah, that was totally convincing", he admitted. She managed to fool him as well in the process. And Epperly didn't even see a thing.

But he couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell her that in the moment her lips touched his, he realized he was still in love with her.

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	5. My My My

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That quick update might cost you guys in a little hiatus, I'm running out of ideas, but I guess I'll figure something out :) Keep the reviews coming, they're putting a smile on my mouth :P Enjoy!

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**My My My**

Nate kept Blair's company for two more hours, meaning two more hours of fake kissing sessions in front of Epperly between Blair's tasks and duties. The affect of having no boyfriend over three months caused Blair the urge to rip Nate's clothes off. She was horny, she was lonely, and he was attractive. But business is business and she wouldn't sleep with Nate even if Epperly resigned right now and she could replace her as Stefano's assistant. They're friends, they're no supposed to sleep with each other, especially after they dated for years and it would make things awkward again. Blair didn't even know why she's even thinking about it, it's not even an option, he was probably still madly in love with Juliet, or Serena, or his latest flame of the month. Besides, she's kind of sure she has some unresolved issues with his best friend. Actually, with both of his best friends, but she referred to Dan this time. When Dan kissed her, it felt like the most…

"Blair!" Nate yelled and waved his hand in front of her face.

"Huh? What?" she replied in confusion. She sat in his lap, still staring at the wall behind him.

"Stop daydreaming. Epperly's gone for coffee, you can get up now", he whispered softly so the other working interns around them won't hear.

"I don't want to. You're comfortable and I haven't slept in years", she yawned and rested her head on his chest.

Nate sighed. He wanted to sleep with her, literally. He was tired as well and he wanted to fall asleep by her side while hugging her. Blair's hair scent was addicting.

"Why won't you just cut it for the day and watch a movie with me? I still have the Breakfast in Tiffany's DVD copy you gave me five years ago", he nuzzled her hair.

"I can't. I have lots of work to do", she replied and closed her eyes, breathing in his cologne.

"Speaking of movies though… Do you think I should talk to Dan?" she added a moment later.

"About what?" he asked her, although he already knew the answer, he just needed to hear her say it out loud once again. He needed her to hurt him, anything that would cause him to fall out of love with her.

"You know… about the kiss", she said quietly.

Nate fought the lump in his throat and the screaming voice in his head telling him not to lie, to say what's on his heart. But he lied anyway.

"Oh… I guess you guys should talk about it. But you were drunk, there's no way it meant something, right?" he rocked his leg impatiently.

"I don't know. At first it felt wrong, because of Serena, but then it felt…" she stared dreamily at the wall behind him again.

Nate rolled his eyes. "What? Amazing? Awful? Shoot, Waldorf"

"I guess amazing would fit just right", she whispered in his ear and rested her head on his chest again.

"Right", he answered coldly and got up all of a sudden, practically throwing the surprised Blair on the floor.

"Hey, what was that all about?" she shouted in his direction when he started walking away from her.

"I'm sorry, I just have to go, and I'm late to a… Meeting with my dad", he answered and forced smile at her.

Blair frowned and watched as the elevator doors closed over his tall frame. She wasn't stupid, she called Nate a horrible liar for a reason. She knew for a fact that he and Howie weren't even talking to each other. Was it something she said? Was Nate sending her a message he does not approve of her and Dan by throwing her to the floor? His behavior made no sense, and she had no time to analyze the weird situation since she heard Epperly's voice yelling her name, she quickly got up and hurried over the Epperly's office.

"Blair", Epperly said while signaling her to sit across of her.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Blair asked carefully, hoping not to get an answer, she was exhausted.

"Just sit and listen", Epperly answered, putting aside the magazine she read.

"Your boyfriend is good looking", she stated.

"What? Oh, my boyfriend. Yes, he is", Blair confirmed.

"He seems to be pretty intelligent as well", Epperly continued.

"Right", Blair frowned. Was she going to praise Nate all day long? Blair didn't get her motives, if there were any.

"This is going to sound embarrassing, and I don't want it to leave my office…" Epperly paused dramatically before she continued "But my mother is in town for the weekend, and I kind of told her I'll bring my boyfriend to lunch a few days ago".

"Wait, you have a boyfriend?" Blair asked, terrified.

"No, that's the problem. He left me for a younger waitress", Epperly rolled her eyes and fingered her reading glasses on the table.

Blair didn't respond. _Is she really..?_

"I know, again, its embarrassing, but I really need to borrow your boyfriend for lunch this Friday", she declared.

"Wait, what? But…" Blair refrained from smiling. This was too perfect to be true.

"I'll consider giving you a promotion", Epperly replied quickly, shutting Blair up.

"Promotion would be good, but I just need a good week off work." Blair grinned at Epperly, the vicious kind of grin.

"No way you're getting a week off, it's not negotiable. I need my interns to keep up with perfect attendance. Can you just talk to him?"

"Sure. But, just curious… Why Nate?" Blair raised an eyebrow.

"He's the perfect guy, I just need my mother to leave me alone for another year", Epperly whispered.

"Nate, you've got a date on Friday", Blair told Nate over the phone a few hours later without waiting for him to say hello.

"Oh, hi Blair. Really? With who exactly?" he chuckled.

"Epperly. I don't have time to explain, but you better make my week off work negotiable", she had to shout the last word because of a truck honking behind her.

"Explain it to me later, I didn't understand a thing. Where are you?" he asked.

"In my way to Dan's" she replied and hung up without saying goodbye when she saw Dan waiting for her in the entrance of the building.

"Glad you called, long time no see", he greeted her with an awkward wave.

"Right back at you cabbage patch", she mocked his wave by returning him one.

They climbed the stairs to his loft quietly, the air getting thicker by the minute. "Is your roommate around?" Blair asked once he opened the door.

"No. Actually he's with Serena. Big date or something", he replied with a shrug.

"That means we can talk", she said while removing her coat and dropping it on the kitchen counter.

"About what?" he asked her, puzzled.

"About the kiss Humphrey", she rolled her eyes and sat on one of the couches in the loft's living room.

"You remember?" he asked with disbelief and sat by her side, careful not to touch her.

"Yes, and apparently so do you", she replied, moving away from him to the other side of the couch.

Dan didn't respond. He just pierced her with his sharp brown eyes, learning her facial features. She was more than perfect even with her tired eyes staring back at him.

"Would you like to go out with me over coffee?" he finally asked after a few minutes.

Blair narrowed her eyes. "Are you kidding my Humphrey? Is this some kind of joke?"

Dan shook his head no and smirked at her.

"What are you smirking at? What the hell have the parolee done to you?" she demanded.

He ignored her question and kept staring at her. "Stop staring, you're freaking me out", she glared at him, obviously unpleased.

"Did you feel anything when we kissed?" he asked her forwardly.

"No", she answered without hesitating, holding her head high.

"Liar", he responded and raised his eyebrow.

"How dare you…" Blair couldn't finish her sentence. Dan's lips were already on hers and he tasted like her favorite coffee flavor, he tasted like cinnamon and vanilla. She couldn't refrain from kissing him back and protested with a quiet mutter when he finally pulled away. He looked at her and reached out his hand to caress her cheek softly.

"You said something about coffee?" she asked sheepishly.


	6. The Other Side

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_Stayed up all night to write this one, hope it delivers :P R&R! Enjoy! :)_

**The Other Side**

Nate stared at his phone. She hung up on him, that's understandable, it's very Blairish after all, she was always that impatient. But then again, she was on her way to the loft to see Dan, which caused his heart to break to tiny little pieces, something that only Blair could cause. Looking back, when he learned about Dan and Serena's reunion 'accident' night, he wasn't even mad like he is now.

"Fuck, fuck", he hissed while remembering their prom night. He thought he'd make her happy by letting her go, but back then he didn't understand that whoever wrote that stupid cliché "if you love someone, set him free", was terribly wrong. And that idiot who decided that 'first love never dies' was also super wrong, because _hey, looks like it did_. Nate didn't know who to blame. She took his advice after all and went after Dan for some talking, but all Nate could think about is the possibility of them kissing right now in Dan's bedroom or going even further than that. He felt nausea creeping up his throat, but then he remembered the soft feeling of her lips on his earlier today. He was afraid his heart would burst out of his chest any moment. Blair was always the smartest one, the sharpest one in the group, but still, she didn't notice a thing. The way he cupped her face, nuzzled her hair and held her waist whenever they kissed was more than obvious to him. Maybe she was thinking about Dan, or how to get him to sleep with Epperly by the end of the week. Just then, when he thought his day couldn't get worse (which is more than ironic, since it started off as the best day he had in years), he received a text message from Blair, saying 'Thank you for your awesome advice. Looks like I have a date over coffee tomorrow", with a winking smiley closing it. Nate couldn't think, his rage overcame his common sense when he dialed Serena's number.

"Nate", Serena said while giggling and asking Ben to stop whatever he was doing.

"Hi. Can you meet me for coffee tomorrow?" he asked forwardly.

"Coffee? That sounds… Great?" she asked with confusion, which was totally understandable since they haven't spoken for a while because all of her and Dan's involvement.

"Just a friendly coffee meeting to catch up, I swear", he replied, hoping she bought it. Besides, why wouldn't she? Its not like Nate have any ulterior motives, right?

"Sure, can I bring Ben with me?" she asked while giggling again, probably smacking Ben to make him stop.

"No. Nothing personal, I just need… You know", he sighed.

"But I was hoping you guys will finally meet… But alright, I guess", she started giggling again, and Nate hung up on her. He was going to play dirty and pull a Chuck Bass out of his sleeve for the first time in his life. He might not get the girl of his dreams anytime soon, but his best friend won't either. He wasn't worried about Blair and Serena's relationship though, they're stronger than this, always were. This whole now-I'm-a-badass idea caused a smirk to spread on his face. He was just praying to god not to fail.

The next day, Nate guessed the time correctly when he checked Gossip Girl, tracking Blair and Dan easily at a coffee shop downtown afternoon. He called Serena, and they were sitting in the coffee shop in no time. He made sure to sit with his back to the entrance to have Serena face it instead. Their conversation was bland, mainly due the Ben subject, and it took no time for them to fall into an awkward silence. When he took a sip out of his drink, he heard the coffee shop's door opening quietly, and he glanced at Serena, who was now very much aware of that door and the new comers. "So…" he managed to say quickly in order to draw her attention back to him. It wasn't time yet. He failed though, when he noticed confusion spread all over Serena's face.

"What is it?" he asked like the naïve cute guy that he is.

"Please, turn around and tell me if I'm hallucinating. I think I just saw Dan and Blair walking in and holding hands", she whispered, her eyes wide. A brief smile of triumph spead over his mouth before he played along and gave her his no-way look. Serena got up automatically and paced over to their table. Nate followed her carefully. He wasn't planning that move, because unlike Blair, Serena was the thinking one, she never acted straight away, something he never liked about her. Blair however, did whatever she wanted without considering anyone who might be involved, a quality which often hurt people, but she didn't give a damn, she'd do anything and stand for herself and her principles, and he couldn't envy her more. Dan and Blair were sitting in a cozy corner across each other and talked enthusiastically, replacing their banter with shy smiles. Serena paced quietly behind them, and observed the couple for a minute before interrupting their conversation.

"May I join you guys?" she asked, not revealing any emotion in her voice.

Serena's voice caused Blair to jump in her place, and send a shiver down Dan's spine. None of them could elicit another word. Nate observed from the corner, utterly amused. His plan seemed to work just fine.

"Serena… Of course", Blair was the first one to break the ice when she gestured to the sit next to Dan, and while she did, she also noticed Nate standing on the side. Dan followed her gaze and noticed Nate as well.

"Hey man, didn't see you. Join us", Dan said with annoyance. This situation couldn't get more uncomfortable for any of those four. Nate took his place beside Blair, where he could feel the change in her breath rhythm. She was obviously nervous.

"Please tell me you're not dating her again", she whispered to him while Serena was looking at Dan.

"Why, are you jealous? Besides, she's dating Ben", Nate whispered back and squeezed her thigh, causing her to roll her eyes and smack his hand away.

Serena eyed every one of them for a minute before talking.

"Care to explain?" she said with a bitter voice. None of them answered her question, so she carried on. "I'm not even talking about the fact that I'm obviously interrupting what it looks like a date." She glared at Dan, who was probably wishing he had the abiltyto be invisible right now. Blair's face expression was beyond terrified. Nate rested his hand over Blair's, hoping to make her feel better and maybe to get her start talking in order to move along with his plan. It didn't work, because the next one to talk was actually Dan.

"We started hanging out a couple of months ago, and I-I don't really know what are we, but we're, I think, um…" he mumbled.

"Friends", Blair finished his sentence, sending him a death glare, signaling him to shut up. But the damage was already done,

"Fine. Not telling me you guys are suddenly friends out of the blue? I can accept that. But dating? That's a whole different story", Serena replied coldly. Right when everything fell into place, Nate realized the whole point he was actually missing. Blair was dating her best friend's ex. Serena actually did the same last year. Serena has no rights to be mad at them. And that's when he stepped into the conversation, in a desperate attempt to save the mess he created.

"Look, I know this must be awkward, but Serena, you've moved on. Shouldn't Dan do the same? Even if it's with Blair. They kind of match if you ask me", he said while feeling Blair's hand squeezing his in gratitude. It was more than painful for him to say those words. He wondered if he meant any of them at all.

"You knew about this?" she asked him, her tone rising. Nate just nodded and waited for her wrath to burst on him. Instead, Serena just sighed.

"I'm not mad about you guys dating. I'm mad because you didn't bother to tell me that you're even friends. Eventually, I want you two to be happy", she sent a weak smile towards them, a gesture that caught Blair off guard.

"You don't know how much it means to me", Dan sent her a wide smile.

"It's still awkward though, I don't want any of you guys mentioning this for a month, or at least until I'm getting used to the idea. This is all just too…"

"Weird?" Nate chuckled and smiled at Blair, who didn't think it was funny at all. She just elbowed his ribs like she always did when she didn't approve of his actions. He managed to smile through the pain, not just the physical one, but mainly the emotional one. Something about the way Dan looked at Blair made him realize Dan was pretty much telling the truth when he said he has feelings for her. But yet, Blair didn't return the same look to Dan, at all. Nate couldn't figure it out, but it didn't look like a like a loving look to him. Maybe it was just the naive Nate in him, trying to convince himself it wasn't possible for Blair to return the feelings to Dan. Her hand was still on his, squeezing it just as tightly as before, spreading warmth through his body. All he was aware of was that he's in love with her, and he was running out air whenever she looked at him, beautiful and breathtaking that she is. He also knew that he was running out of tools and time to make her his, but he was definitely more than willing to try anything. Eventually, she might reject him because she doesn't feel the same, but she also might take him back against all odds. He was going to fight for her.

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	7. Backed Into The Corner

_Progress and some more progress :) Read and review! Enjoy!_

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**Back into the corner**

"So here's the plan. We're having a photo shoot outside the W building right now, Epperly's going to be here" Blair said quickly, waiting for Nate's nod before she continued. "We have two goals. One of them is you still being my loving boyfriend, and the other is you talking to her and make sure she knows how glad you are to be her fake boyfriend over lunch in Friday as a favor to me".

"I'm still wondering how come I'm everyone's boyfriend this week", Nate chuckled and grazed his hand over her cheek, mocking her plan.

Nate wasn't sure if Blair had any feelings for him, but on one thing he certain of, the attraction was still there and he could feel the air thicken whenever he touched her, even by accident. So he was going for the 'touching' tactic, he thought it might gain him some points. So far, it wasn't really working. Maybe he wasn't aggressive enough. Blair rolled her eyes and pulled away from him, turning on her heel with anger towards the bunch of people standing in front of the models.

She was more than glad that Serena was okay with her and Dan dating, but something still didn't feel right. Serena was the main obstacle for her and Dan's relationship and now that it's gone, why does she feel there's another one popping up? Maybe she wasn't ready for commitment all over again. Chuck was more than enough of a relationship train wreck in order to make her give up men for life. But the way that Cabbage Patch was looking at her yesterday just made her realize he might have real feelings for her, and she wasn't sure she's ready for that yet.

She turned around and noticed Nate wasn't following her, he was just standing there, staring at what it looked like her butt. "Uh, hello, I'm over here", she waved her hands in the air to draw his attention. He broke his stare and hurried over to her, blushing. "I saw that. Quit staring at my butt. How long since you slept with an object?" she raised her eyebrows and noticed his already red faced turned Bordeaux. "An object? Are you implying I'm gay?" he chuckled. She sighed and started walking again, grabbing his tie (she made him wear a suit for today, hoping it'll impress Epperly) and pulling him after her.

"No, I'm implying you're a man whore", she quickened her pace when she saw Epperly, making him stagger behind her. She stopped a few feet away from her; she was talking to a photographer.

"Oh common, it's not like sex with me is an actual punishment", he groaned and stood behind her, she was still holding his tie.

"Shut up. The minute she turns around, you kiss me", Blair ordered. Oh, how much he missed her bossing him around. And to think he hated that a few years ago. She pulled him closer to her with his tie when she saw the conversation between Epperly and the photographer is ending.

He stood behind her and placed his hands on her waist, pulling her closer to his body. Time to play a little dirtier.  
"I'm not playing along until you admit I'm the best sex you ever had", he whispered in her ear. His voice made her knees weak and she struggled to breath for a moment. "Please, I don't want to hurt your manly ego", she replied but didn't pull away just yet. Truth is, Chuck was a skilled one in the bedroom, he was savage, rough and made her moan like there's no tomorrow. But Nate was gentle and soft (at least in the foreplay), he knew exactly how to touch her in all the right places, and it didn't cause her to moan. It caused her to scream. But no way is she going to admit that. She stood there, feeling his hands standing still on her waist, his fingers gingerly starting to move along her thighs, his breath hot against her neck. She had to break free from his grasp in order to breathe properly, but when she tried, he just held her tighter.

"It's just words you know, I don't have to mean them", she said, not noticing she mumbled just a little.

"Say it", she felt him smirking when he nuzzled her neck.

Epperly was about to turn around when she finally said "Fine, you're the best I ever had". Blair turned around quickly, facing his infuriating smirk and kissed his face expression away when she spotted Epperly looking at them in the corner of her eye. The kiss was different this time. Technically, nothing changed, he was still a good kisser, but something inside of her changed when he brushed his lips over hers in a slow rhythm, both of them synced. As soon as she felt something burning inside of her, she abruptly pulled away. He was caught of guard and frowned at her while she just walked over to Epperly, not sparing him a glance.

"You love birds are everywhere", Epperly rolled her eyes and hinted on a smile.

"Yeah well, he's that committed and loyal", Blair laughed at her own joke. She was still not over what happened a minute before. This was definitely not normal.

"I bet he is. Did you talk to him?" Epperly whispered and eyed the confused Nate behind them who was staring at his feet.

"I did. In fact, he'd like to talk to you. You know; to set things up, coordinate the story…" Blair replied, still not daring to turn around and look at him.

"I can't believe he agreed", Epperly sighed in relief.

"Believe me, me neither. He's my golden boy", Blair replied quietly, musing about her own words. She never even thought for a split second on what he might feel about this scheme, he was just willing to do it for her, no matter what the cost is. Just like a perfect boyfriend would.

She turned around to take a glimpse of him. He was making imaginary circles on the floor with his fore finger, a thing he used to do when he was little. She smiled to herself. Sometimes she felt like he hasn't changed at all, just grew taller. Another photographer drew Epperly's attention while Blair paced slowly towards confused and utterly cute Nate.

"Hey", he said when he heard her approaching, sending her a sweet smile.

"Hey", she replied, stopping a hug distance from him.

"Listen, I trust you. Go, talk to her. Update me later", she said a moment later.

"Update you? Are you leaving?" he asked with confusion.

"Dan's cooking lunch", she said, trying to sound confident. She thought she noticed his face fall for a moment, but then he smiled at her and nodded.

"Right, have fun you two", he shrugged and walked away from her.

A year dating Chuck Bass, and yet, she has never been so confused before.

When she arrived to the loft, a smell of pasta filled her nostrils, which made her realize she didn't eat all day long.

"Blair? Is that you? I'm in the kitchen", Dan called.

Blair laughed when she found Dan in front of a pan wearing an apron. He turned around and flashed a shy smile at her. "What's so funny?" he pointed the spatula at her.

"I didn't even know you can cook", she chuckled and sat on the kitchen counter. "Smells good though", she added.

"I'm cooking in special occasions, except for waffles", he said and placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"I'm starving, how long will it take?" she said a minute later.

"Few more minutes. You can turn on the TV, I'll be right there", he replied.

Blair wandered into the living room. Besides food, all she could think about was Nate and how he held her close to him like that. He was obviously teasing her, but it just felt right and terribly wrong at the same time. It's not like she was cheating on Dan, besides, they were dating for two days, but still, she and Nate were meaningless. _It's meaningless and just a game. That's it, _She mused, trying to convince herself over something she wasn't sure of. She fell on the couch and stared at the unlit TV.

"Blair, you've got a text message", Dan yelled all of a sudden. She must have left her phone on the kitchen counter.

"I don't feel like getting up. What does it say?" she yelled back. She was impressed with herself for trusting Humphrey that much.

He didn't answer for a whole minute and Blair didn't even notice when he walked out of the kitchen, wearing his apron backwards, first he scowled, but then he just stared at her.

"You're freaking me out with that look, what is it?" Blair chuckled, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere he created in the room.

He just kept staring at her, studying her.

"Are we dating?" he finally asked.

"I think… we are. Where is this coming from?" she asked, puzzled.

He threw the cell phone at her direction, and it landed on the couch beside her. Blair took a quick glimpse at the screen, which showed a gossip girl blast, and a picture of no other than Nate and her kissing outside the W building.


	8. One Week Of Danger

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Uh, not too happy with the outcome of this one, you're free to criticize my ass :P However, next chap should be awesome! Once again, thank you so much for your lovely reviews, you have no idea how happy I am to receive email alerts of a review, it really means alot to me :) R&R awesome readers and reviewers! Enjoy!

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**One Week Of Danger**

A marching band took residence in Blair's mind, but the room was still silent. She stared at her phone and the very picture of her kissing Nate. Coming to think about it, they looked happy, like a real couple. At least it was well acted. Dan's eyes burned behind her, and she could feel his disappointment and anger.

"Now would be the perfect time for the 'I can explain' line", Dan broke the silence all of a sudden, his voice bitter.

Blair turned her head and looked at him. She opened her mouth in order to say something, defend herself, defend her best friend, but nothing came out.

He looked at her in frustration and began to pace slowly towards the kitchen, throwing his hands into the air.

"Wait", was all Blair could elicit when he was about to disappear from her sight.

"What for? My sauce is burning", he said, not looking back, and kept pacing until he finally entered the kitchen, leaving her alone in the living room.

Why was she struggling to tell him the truth? Maybe she wasn't sure if he'll be mad. But he has all the rights to be mad, she's kissing his best friend in her spare time for a not-so-good cause. But she and Dan were so new at this; they got to know each other for real only three months ago, what if he won't get it? What if he gets mad and jealous and he'll break things with her? Blair's head was still full of questions about Dan, but Nate was still there, in the back of her mind, waiting for her to remember him, to worry about him as well. She shook her head in frustration and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Few minutes later, Dan got out of the kitchen with two plates, hot pasta on them, and shoved one plate into her hands angrily before sitting beside her.

She shoved a forkful of pasta into her mouth, trying to make the ability of talking to an impossible mission for the next twenty minutes. She almost choked when she figured out why was it so hard to tell Dan the truth. Telling Dan that Nate isn't really her boyfriend would make it real, and she wasn't ready to make it real just yet. Being around Nate reminded her of the good times they used to share. Getting to kiss him was just a bonus.

"Nye iz ma boyfrend", Blair declared when she felt brave enough, still chewing on her pasta.

Dan couldn't refrain from laughing at her failed attempt to say something, which of course, he didn't understand. She blushed, swallowed and glared at him.

"What? You're the queen of manners. You're adapting the Brooklyn style?" he chuckled, and then stared at his food again, remembering he's supposed to be angry.

"I said Nate is my boyfriend", Blair repeated herself, feeling less brave by the minute. When Dan started to frown she added quickly "My fake boyfriend". His frown just went worse, and he stopped chewing on his food, and just stared at her. Blair sent him an apologetic look.

"Do I even want to know?" he asked a moment later, shaking his head.

"Long story. It's fake, that's all you need to know", she responded and placed her hand over his.

"Doesn't look fake to me", he coughed and played with his fork.

"That's the point", she smiled to herself.

"So what, you have to kiss him like that for how long?" he tapped his leg on the floor impatiently.

"Are you jealous?" she chuckled and smacked his chest playfully.

"No… I mean, yes, but I have no reason to, right?" he mumbled.

She shook her head no and gave him an encouraging smile before she leaned in to kiss him. "That pasta was really good by the way", she pointed at her now empty plate.

"I guess it's a good thing that I burned the sauce", he chuckled and kissed her back. Blair felt the sparks, they were definitely there. But Nate, Nate felt like fireworks earlier today. There was no explanation for it. She has feeling for Dan; she couldn't possibly have feelings for Nate as well, especially when she thought they were done at the senior year prom. Maybe it was just a nostalgia feeling, or anything fleeting. She thought they were done for good. And that's why she avoided him for couple of days. Those 48 hours fixed her mind pretty quickly. Being with Dan, having Serena's approval, everything was perfect for 48 hours, even her lack of sleep didn't bother her, because she fell asleep by Dan's side after they were watching a movie, and it was more than soothing.

It was Friday, and Dan was having classes in the morning, so he promised to meet her for lunch in his loft, and once again, to cook for her. She agreed happily and spent the entire morning in bed watching 'Charade'. The looks of Carey Grant always reminded her of Nate's, even though they weren't really alike. She managed to avoid him for 48 hours, and she completely forgot about his date with Epperly, which is why she was surprised to see his text message, asking her what to wear for the date. She texted him back, telling him to wear whatever he wants to, just not plaid. They went over the plan just once, and she was hoping he'll manage and won't screw everything up. Luckily, the plan wasn't even that sophisticated. He had to act like a lovely boyfriend to Epperly and nothing else. Blair figured that the seduction part will be better after the date. By then, she thought, Epperly might trust Nate a little bit more, which might reduce the chances for her to reject him when he'll try. It was nearly lunch time when Blair was already in the cab in her way to the loft. She told Nate she'll be having lunch with Dan, and if he'll need something important, he should text her, but only if it's important. She didn't want her quality time with Dan to be interrupted, especially after the gossip girl blast fiasco two days before. The whole campus at school was still buzzing about that, and Chuck and Serena called to find out what's happening and why, as a part of the non-judging breakfast club, they weren't told. Blair sighed and answered each phone call, explaining the scheme plan carefully and making sure that none of them will slip anything out until the moment will come and she could finally blackmail away her week off work. When she opened the door to the loft, she saw a tiny table in the middle of the living room, two candles on it and a bouquet of flowers lying above one of the plates. Unfortunately, they were Lilies, and she couldn't hate the damn flower more. She had a bee accident because of a Lillie in 4th grade, which turned out to be a mess, and she ended up in the hospital, her face swollen. She could smell the stew scent coming out of the kitchen. It was pretty surprising, but Humphrey was a skilled chef whenever he cooked. She took the bouquet and put it on the hall table. She forgot how new Dan was in her life. He didn't know about the bee accident, he didn't know what her favorite flowers were, he didn't know a lot, unlike Nate, Who was texting her right now for the first time.

**I brought Epperly some Hydrangeas, is that ok? – N.**

A flashback of Nate bringing her a dozen of Hydrangeas on their first date, when they were 12, hit her. He's the reason those are her favorite flowers, and now he was sharing this intimate detail with another girl. Even though it was all planned out and it was just Epperly, Blair's heart pinched a little. It has been a while since someone brought her a beautiful bouquet of Hydrangeas (Chuck messed up with favorite flowers as well. He never knew what kind she liked).  
Few minutes later, Dan hopped out of the kitchen, a pot of hot stew in his hands, and gave her a quick peck on the lips before sitting down across of her. They had a few minutes of small talk until her phone buzzed again, indicating a text message.

"I'm sorry… Just a second", she apologized to Dan and checked the message, which was again a useless statement about the hell that was Nate's date, and that Epperly's mother needed a shower. She returned him a text, reminding him of the Do-not-disturb-with-texts-in-my-date policy, and got back to her conversation with Dan. Ten minutes was all it took for Nate to text again. By then, it felt like he was doing that on purpose. Blair wanted to turn the phone off, but someone from work might call, and she couldn't resist reading the text messages either due the same reason. An hour, four glasses of wine and 4 more text messages from Nate (which she didn't answer) later, she and Dan were kissing fervently and pulled each others clothes off. They never done this before, and it was the first time for them, but Blair could see he was planning it out with the candles and meal and the failed attempt with the flowers. Her phone was still vibrating somewhere around the living room, and she tried to ignore it. Nate was not going to sabotage her first time with Dan. It already felt like he did try to sabotage something with Serena, but Nate isn't smart enough to do that, it was probably a shitty coincidence. She started to unbutton Dan's shirt the minute they reached his bedroom, but all of a sudden he growled in pain.

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" she asked, trying to figure out what just happened.

"I don't know. Something scratched my chest and it really hurts", he pulled away from her to check on his chest. There was a little wound in the middle of it, few drops of blood covering it up. He smiled lightly at her and took her hand in his. "Here's the problem", he gestured to the ring in her left hand, her ruby ring.


	9. Crystal Breakdown

_Hey guys! Just wanted to clear some things out... I'm planning on treating each character right. I love both Nair and Dair and I don't plan to throw any one of the characters under a bus to prop another relationship, they deserve better. With that being said... if any one you have some questions for me, feel free to ask me through reviews and PM's, I'll be happy to answer back :) Enjoy this one, and don't forget to review!_

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**Crystal Breakdown**

Blair stared at her ring, her eyes wide. "I just noticed you're wearing that ring everyday, aren't you?" he asked while kissing her neck. She nodded and tried to pull away from him, she couldn't breathe for a moment, her world closed up on her all of a sudden. Dan didn't get the hint, and pinned her to the wall, crushing his lips on hers. "Why?" he murmured quietly between kisses. "I… uh… It was a gift", she said, trying to give in to him, but his touch was just bland on her skin. They stumbled together onto the bed, and he lay on top of her, sliding his hand up her skirt. "From whom?" he asked a moment later, leaving a trail of kisses up her leg. She shook him off of her abruptly and got up from the bed, straightening her clothes. "What's with the questions?" she asked while leaving stunned Dan on his bed, frowning with confusion.

"I don't know, just curious I guess", he got up and followed her to the living room. She was checking on her phone while searching for her coat.

"Wait, where are you going? Who gave you the ring?" he asked with suspicion while buttoning his shirt back. "No one", she mumbled, desperately trying to put on her coat as quickly as she could.

"Come on, I may know you for only three months, but it's enough for me to tell when you're lying", he arched his eyebrows at her.

She stared at the floor with defeat, trying to formulate the words when her cell phone vibrated for the hundredth time today. She pressed the ignore button rather quickly and then looked at Dan. He was still waiting for an answer when she whispered Nate's name. He ran a hand through his hand in frustration and shook his head.  
"And let me guess, he's the one calling and texting all day long", Dan hissed through grinding teeth.

"Yes, but…" Blair couldn't finish her sentence. Dan was already heading towards his room. "Its fine, you can show yourself out", he said and slammed his bedroom door. Blair twisted her ring around and around, remembering every second of the scene replaying in her head, where Nate kneeled down and wished her a happy 16th birthday, telling her he'll always be by her side and they'll get married one day, and he promise to get her a prettier ring, the Vanderbilt's ring, but the ruby one would have to suffice for now. That memory wasn't enough; it wasn't enough to explain why she turned Dan down, why she left with no explanation, and why was she on a cab, on her way to the Empire to see Nate.

"Oh hi, I wasn't expecting you. Weren't you on a date with…" Nate choked when he saw Blair walking out of the suite elevator, her eyes puffy and red, tears covering up her face. He hurried over to her, wrapping his arms around her petite frame. He stroked her hair gently, letting her cry it all out. She pulled away a moment later, pushing him away with force.

He gave her a questioning look and tried to get close to her again, but she took a few steps back. "This… all of this, wrong, and I'm… I'm exhausted and confused and I'm tired and I can't do this anymore, and I…" She mumbled through her tears, throwing her hands into the air, walking around the room like a crazy person.

"Wait, what? Just relax. Sit down; I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate, my special recipe. You remember? When we were-"

"I remember! I just… tea would be fine", she huffed and fell onto the nearest couch.

She sat there in silence, watching Nate's every move. Hot drinks were all he could prepare except for hangover mixtures. Those were really his specialty, and it was charming in its own kind of way. Few minutes later, he sat on the other side of the couch and handed her the hot cup of tea. A scent of cinnamon filled her nostrils when she smelled the liquid. Sometimes, and especially now, she wished he wouldn't know her so well.

"Cinnamon, you still like that in your tea, right?" he asked after she took a tentative sip. She nodded and smiled weakly at him. Her eyes filled with tears again. He was right there, being all charming and handsome like he always does, and its all ruining her relationship on the same time.

He rested his hand over hers; squeezing it tightly, trying to comfort her, but instead, her heart just beat faster and she pulled her hand away. He was making her feel something, and not knowing what she's feeling was always something she feared of.

He sighed and stared at his feet, not knowing what else to do or say.

"Dan… I need you to talk to him", she said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Why? Trouble in paradise?" he asked, studying her face expressions.

"No… it's just… He said he's okay with our fake relationship thing, and I'm just not convinced that he actually is. He won't listen to me, and I keep messing up with you being everywhere", she said quietly, dreading his response. She might have made a mistake, it sounded like he is the fault of her failed relationship. But maybe he is? She didn't quite know. Blair Waldorf was always the one to know everything, and she couldn't bare the feeling of falling into the unknown.

"You can tell me he's jealous", he responded, a little smirk on his face.

"He's not, or maybe he is. Please, I don't know, just talk to him".

"Yeah, okay", he replied, giving her what she wants. It might not be the greatest idea, but at least he can cross one more thing of her huge to-worry-about list.

"You didn't ask about the date", Nate said while wiping a tear out of her cheek, causing her to stir uncomfortably on her sit.

"You pretty much summed it all up with those texts", she managed to chuckle for the first time since she arrived.

"Yeah, her mother was horrible, she asked a lot of questions", he confessed and laughed at the memory of Epperly's mother treating him like a five year old, caressing his cheek and asking him if he's hungry. Hear him laughing made her laugh as well, and they both laughed for a solid minute, forgetting all of their problems.

"That's good, but I think we'll have to put a hold on our plan until next week. The whole Epperly scheme is sucking the energy out of me. I need to focus on work and my relationship with Dan", she said when she clamed down. For a moment she felt like she enjoys doing it on purpose, because she could see clearly now how Nate no longer smiled, and his face fell whenever she pronounced Dan's name.

"Yeah. I mean, I understand. Tell me when you're ready to move on to the next stage", he said, sounding bitter to her.

"Thank you, for everything really", she smiled at him, and moved closer to his side of the couch.

"You're welcome. You know I'll do anything for you", he said when she rested her head on his chest, suddenly very comfortable around him.

"I'll do anything for you", he whispered a few minutes later, when she finally fell asleep.


	10. Salt In The Wound

_Hey guys, again, thank you so much for your lovely reviews! And just to clarify something, the ruby ring is indeed from Nate, it's mentioned in the prequel Gossip Girl book (which are awesome, I highly recommend of reading them). Read and review, enjoy! :)_

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**Salt In The Wound**

Nate woke up alone after he and Blair fell asleep together, she left a faint scent of her perfume all over the suite. It has been a week since they spoke to each other. She was pretty serious when she said she's putting a hold in their plan, but he thought she'd at least call for a friendly small talk.

He hasn't forgotten about his promise to her. He promised her he'd talk to Dan, but he didn't want to rush with it. He didn't even know what to tell him, or what has been going on between Dan and Blair in the past week. He promised, and there he was, in a Tuesday cold after noon, outside of Dan's loft. He wandered down the street, and tried to steady his breaths. He was never that nervous to meet his best friend before. He felt guilty for some reason. Actually, there was a reason, he was trying to claim Dan's girlfriend back, but he was pretty sure that Blair wasn't aware of his plan, and Dan wasn't either.  
He climbed the stairs slowly, musing about his future conversation with Dan. He didn't even know where to begin with. If his assumptions were right, there's no proper way to deal with a jealous man. Sad thing is that it was pretty understandable. Much to Nate's surprise, the door was already open. When he tried to walk into the apartment, a tiny coated frame bumped into him, probably on her way out. They both struggled and danced in an awkward circle in order to make room for the other to pass, but when she stopped, pressed to his body in an awkward position, he stopped as well, finally looking at her.

"What are you doing here?" Blair whispered her eyes wide with surprise.

"I came to talk to Dan, like you asked me to", he whispered back, trying to cherish the feeling of her body against his.

"Good. I mean, go, and talk to him. I… I have to go", she blushed when she noticed their current standing situation. He nodded and then took a glimpse at her clothing. She was wearing an oversized NYU t-shirt under her coat, and it looked like she wasn't even wearing a bra either. Nate's heart pinched a little when the memories of Blair, wearing his favorite lacrosse t-shirts along with her boy shorts flashed before his eyes. He turned his head away and moved, giving her the chance to pass by. When he didn't hear the sound of her heels clicking on the stairs anymore, he walked into the apartment, closing the door behind him.

"Blair! Have you seen my boxers?" Dan called, appearing in the hallway a moment later with a towel attached to his waist.

"I'm sorry man… I didn't know you were… Let me change", Dan muttered and disappeared into his bedroom while Nate rolled his eyes and punched the door behind him angrily. Blair was never the one to sleep with someone right away when she's in a serious relationship. She made him wait and teased him for two weeks before giving in to him when they got back together in senior year. Nate couldn't avoid smirking a little when he remembered that they didn't leave the house for a week after their second first time. Patience was indeed a virtue.

"At least one of us is busy at nights. That walk of shame was pretty shemful indeed", Nate noted out loud so Dan could hear through his bedroom's door.

"Yeah. I mean no, we haven't… She has some… Never mind", Dan mumbled. Nate smiled to himself. Knowing that Dan and Blair haven't slept together just guaranteed a happier week for him.

"Why does it feel like the Serena scenario all over again?" Dan asked when he finally got out of his room, now wearing a sweater and a pair of pajama pants.

"What?" Nate asked, not sure what Dan was referring to.

"Me, you, Blair" Dan explained and leaned on the kitchen counter.

"There's no 'you' in this. I'm not-"

"Come on, I could see the look in your eyes when you said her name", Dan cut him off and scowled.

Nate studied him and then shrugged.

"But it's not like I'm going to do something about it, unlike you did. Kissing my girlfriend after a drunken night, remember?" Nate shot back.

"Yeah, you're just kissing her sober", Dan answered quickly.

"It's different, I'm helping her", Nate said and paced nervously back and forth in the living room.

"How is kissing her in your spare time when she has a boyfriend is helpful?" Dan bit.

"I thought she explained… If you want me to back off, just say so", he responded.

"I saw that she texted you to meet her tonight in her place". Dan stated. Nate hesitated, but then confessed by nodding.

"Does our friendship matters to you?" Dan asked a moment later. Much like Blair, Dan was sharp, and he asked those little tricky questions that Nate didn't know how to deal with. On one hand, he didn't know how to lie, so he said the truth, but on the other hand, they might have expected a different answer. Either way, it was a death trap, and Nate knew it.

"Of course it does", Nate said, deciding to follow his heart after all.

"Then you'd respect my wishes", Dan said and paused dramatically, releasing all the air in his lungs. Nate stared at him, puzzled.

"So you want me to back off?" Nate asked, although he knew the answer. But it somehow felt like more than that.

"I do. I want you to see her tonight, and tell her that you're no longer cooperating with her plan", Dan said simply and shrugged, like it was an obvious request.

"Can't you see she's collapsing? She's tired, she needs that week off", Nate raised his voice for the first time in a while now. His life was bland lately; he had nothing to fight for.

"She'll figure it out on her own. I don't want you near her anytime soon, she's already confused enough", Dan said, still calm. He wasn't the one to lose his temper that quickly, but when he did, it usually ended with a black eye.

"I know what you're feeling man, just let me help her, I promise to let go right after. Can't you see how miserable she is? Do you even care?" Nate yelled by now. He was losing patience, there's nothing he hated more than seeing Blair falling apart. He wanted her to be happy, even if it's with Dan, even though he wouldn't completely believe her if she'd ever she loves him. He felt something when they kissed outside the W building, and he was pretty sure it wasn't one sided.

"I've never asked you for anything. Just please, stay away for now", Dan said while walking towards the door, dismissing Nate by opening it.

Nate studied Dan. He was never the bad guy, he was just insecure or concerned and Nate could understand why. The whole Serena situation few months ago was more than close to ruin their friendship. But this one is different for Nate, this one involves his first love, the only girl he imagined walking down the aisle with, and he knew right there and then, that he could never be completely happy for the both of them. He shook his head and walked out of the apartment. He always respected his best friend, but the girl he's in love with needs him right now more than ever. He promised himself to let go right after their scheme is over, right until Blair is happy.


	11. Can You Tell

_Sorry for the late update guys, but this is me, writing in the middle of the Dair love fest going on in the fandom (I still love them though). I feel like it's extremely badly written, a little rushed, and god forbid my grammar mistakes, but, you know :) Enjoy anyway! And don't forget to review :)_

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**Can you tell**

Nate breathed deeply a few times outside of Blair's and Serena's apartment. He was trying to think straight. Blair seemed determent to see him tonight about Epperly, and this was his chance to finally help her for real and make her happy. He felt utterly guilty for doing this even though he never promised anything to Dan, but that meant being disrespectful to his best friend's wishes. Nate ran a hand through his hair nervously and knocked on the door. The only response was Blair's voice saying it's open. He opened the door and closed it carefully, suddenly afraid to break his own insecurities silence. When he entered Blair's room, she laid on her bed, hiding her face behind a huge pile of papers, her reading glasses on the tip of her nose. She looked like a concentrated yet a hot secretary. He cleared his throat when she didn't seem to notice he's standing in her door. He could see her eyebrow arching behind the pile of papers she was reading, and she signaled him to sit on a chair beside her bed. He chuckled and sat down. They reached a new level, she was bossing him wordlessly now, and it was more than amusing. Two minutes of silence passed until Blair let the paper guard down and looked at him, a satisfied look on her face. She was definitely on to something regarding Epperly.

"That look… All you need is a light bulb above your head", Nate teased.

"Yes, but before I spill out my genius plan, first things first, how was your conversation with Dan?" She asked, looking genuinely interested and afraid of his answer at the same time. He hesitated. Telling her about the real conversation he and Dan shared would be a bad idea. He didn't want her to know just yet about Dan's request, because if she knew, she would also know about his feelings for her, and that's another thing she can't know.

"It was… good. I reassured him there's nothing between us and it's just business in order to help you", he explained.

She raised both of her eyebrows in surprise and moved closer to him, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Is that it? He wasn't madly jealous and protective?" she asked, obviously disappointed.

"No. I mean, he was worried, but he trusts me. And you of course", he lied and an image of a scowling Dan popped right into his head and refused to leave.

Blair frowned, puzzled. "Weird. We had a huge fight over this a week ago, and he called me a day later and asked me to come over", she mused out loud.

Nate chuckled and smiled weakly at her, not knowing what to say. He had to move the conversation elsewhere, but the only thing he could think about was her walk of shame earlier today. "You're not the one for a shameful walk in an NYU t-shirt by the way", Nate forced himself to laugh. It wasn't really funny, but he was certain they didn't have sex according to Dan's confusing answer; he just needed to hear that from her as well. And she delivered just fine when she said "No, it wasn't really… I mean…" she mumbled and stared at the floor. She sighed when she figured out that that's was all she could say at the moment. "You don't have to tell me, I get it", he said, trying to calm her down. It was pretty odd to him though. Blair might not be the one to sleep with someone that quickly, but it didn't look like they haven't tried. It looked like several failed attempts to him, and he smirked a little, thinking about Dan not being able to perform was amusing. Comfortable silence fell on both of them while Nate thought about his next move, but Blair's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"So, about Epperly…" her scheming tone rose from the ashes, and she looked enthusiastic again.

"I used the past week to our advantage, and I thought about a great plan, yet simple one for you to seduce her", she stated proudly. Nate chuckled. She seemed so excited for him to sleep with Epperly. She really did deserve that week off, she has been working her ass off lately and he could see the fatigue taking over her face. Even though he wasn't that excited to sleep with the control freak that is Epperly, he nodded and signaled her to continue.

"I'll tell her to meet us for drinks in Wednesday after work, and I'll be no show, and that'll cause my supposedly boyfriend to get mad over it, and then you'll rant about it to Epperly, and when she's drunk enough, you'll kiss her and seduce your way to her pants", she explained quickly.

"Sounds great", Nate responded, even though he wasn't sure he'll be convincing enough as an actor to pull the mad boyfriend act.

"But wait, how do I even seduce her?" he added a moment later.

Blair stared at him in disbelief. He blushed and shrugged.

"What do you mean how? If Chuck slept with half of Manhattan, I'm pretty sure you've slept with the other half", Blair arched her eyebrow at him.

He cleared his throat. "I didn't… I mean maybe I did… But I'm serious".

"That's just ridiculous. What, are they falling on their knees and beg you to sleep with them?" She asked. He shrugged and smiled in response. It wasn't far from the truth. Thinking about it, he couldn't recall the last time he actually made an effort to conquest a girl, except for Blair, years ago.

"Come on Archibald, you're smarter than you look. Make sure she drinks a lot, and seduce her, it's not that difficult. Just work your charm", Blair said, losing patience over his ignorance in seducing techniques.

"I don't think my charm will be enough in this case. She's a tough nut to crack to be honest. Don't you know her better by now?" he chuckled.

"For once, you might be right", Blair confessed dramatically when she realized seducing Epperly might be a little harder than she originally thought.

"Alright, I'll be you for a second, and you'll play Epperly", she said while getting up from the bed. She was wearing one of her night gowns, one of those that left no room for imagination, and Nate had to force himself to look away and not to stare.

"You'll have to start slow. Touch her accidently", she said while demonstrating on him by grazing her hand on his shoulder. Her touch sent a shiver down his spine.

"Through the conversation, you might want to hold her hand when she doesn't notice" she added and sat on the edge of the bed again, placing her hand on his. Her hand was warmer than his, and when she squeezed it, he sighed quietly.

"Now what?" He asked her hand still on his. She seemed distracted.

"Oh… you know, you wait for the awkward intense silence and then you kiss her", she responded quietly. Few moments of silence fell on the them both when Blair tried to pull away her hand, but Nate grabbed her wrist gently, returning her hand to it's original place, right on his. He reached his other hand and lifted her chin to make her look at him, and he could see clearly now she was on the verge of tears.

Her deep brown eyes sparkled and a tear escaped from one of her eyes. He leaned in and kissed the tear away, and then kissed the tip of her nose once, something they used to do when they were younger and weren't experienced at kissing. His kiss made her laugh bitterly a bit, before she pulled him closer to her by his shirt, and crushed her lips over his. Their kiss was more than sensational and Nate was more than satisfied to feel her lips again. In that moment he decided he wanted to kiss those pair of lips every morning for the rest of his life, and he wanted to make sure she knows it, but he couldn't say a word just yet. He didn't want it to end. The kiss became more urgent and feverish by the minute, and she managed to push him onto the bed and climb on top of him without breaking their kiss for a second.

She unbuttoned his shirt as quickly as she could before running her hands all over his chest, feeling his muscles come to life under her touch. He slipped his hands under her gown and grazed his hands over her thighs, aiming up to her inner thighs. She moaned into his lips and placed her hand over his heart. A moment later, she pulled away from him, her eyes wide. He stared at her, confused. She could definitely feel his fast heart beats, and his heart responded to her touch just like it did years ago, when they shared their first time. This was too familiar, too natural, _too right_. She climbed off of him and sat on her bed, staring at him in disbelief. She couldn't comprehend what just happened.

"I think you should go", she mumbled, shifting her stare to the wall behind his head.

"But…" He tried to protest. "Don't. Just-just leave, I need… to be alone", she whispered.

"But we… this…" He tried to explain while buttoning his shirt back.f

She shook her head and stared at her feet.

"I mean, this is exactly how you should approach Epperly. If you'll follow what I've just done, you'll be just fine", she said a moment later in a harsh tone.

"Epperly? What… oh" He sighed. Blair was the queen of denial. This had nothing to with Epperly what so ever, and they both knew it.

He looked at her one last time before leaving her room. Two images refused to leave his head when he walked down the cold street, one of them was still the image of scowling Dan, but the other one was the sight of Blair, trying to hide her tears right before he left.


	12. Queen Of Everything

_So, I'm wrapping this one up in a chapter or two. Advice though: If you're confused, it's because the character is confused :P That's all the point. Anyway, feel free to PM me with questions or if you're feeling there's a hueg plot hole you need to solve. Thanks for the lovely reviews again! Enjoy reading :)_

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**Queen Of Everything**

Blair was having problems in bed for the third time this week, and she left the much frustrated Dan in his bedroom, heading towards the kitchen to shed a few tears and then maybe get him to try again. It felt like they were trying to get pregnant.

"I don't get it. What's the problem? I'm trying everything I know", he muttered when he followed her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She shrugged him off and marched to the living room, falling on the couch with a sigh. Truth is she didn't even know what's wrong. It's not like she's a male and it's crucial that her 'part' needs to work in order to have sex, it's just that every time they were in a compromising position and a second away from taking their relationship to another level, she couldn't do it and rolled on her back away from him. Bigger question is why she was definitely ready to have sex with Nate in a blink of an eye, but she couldn't do it with her boyfriend, who was pretty much on the verge of crying out of frustration. She shook her head and stared at the floor. She was a lying whore who cheated on her boyfriend and didn't even have the heart to tell him she almost screwed his best friend.

It has been two days since the steamy incident with Nate, and she found herself ignoring his calls all day long. It was a matter of time until he would show up at her door and demand to talk to her, like he used to do when he screwed up and she decided she's breaking up with him, until of course, he showed up with a bouquet of Hydrangeas and said he's sorry. She didn't want to push him far though, since she was afraid he's going to back out of their seducing-Epperly plan due tomorrow night. She buttoned her blouse back and decided she'll text Nate as soon as she's out of the loft. But she had to deal with the frustrated Dan first, who was furiously stirring the spoon in his instant coffee cup he made for himself. He was still in his boxers and refused to look at her.

"Where's the milk?" she asked nonchalantly a few minutes later while searching in the fridge. He just glared at her and placed his cup firmly on the counter, ignoring her.

"Oh common, are you seriously giving me the silent treatment?" She rolled her eyes and leaned against the refrigerator door.

"No-no. You know, whatever. I don't care that we're not having sex like a _normal_ couple even though I don't even know what the problem is" he muttered and ran a hand through his hair. Blair sighed; this was the beginning of the inevitable. She hoped he won't mention it today; apparently he was going to do that just about now.

"And then I said I loved you, and you gave me that awkward smile and closed the door behind you", he grumbled silently.

Blair didn't respond. She was never the one to return the 'I love you' when she wasn't ready. Chuck would know.

"And you're acting weird since yesterday, and you won't even talk to me" he added when he figured that she's determent to stay silent. Blair couldn't think. She could still feel Nate's heart beats on her fingertips. It scared her. She decided not to lie, she already cheated, even though she technically kissed Nate while she dated Dan before, but this time there was no Epperly around to impress, there was no excuse. She kissed Nate for her, and her conscience wasn't about to give her mercy anytime soon.

"I'm sorry, for everything. You know I can't say that without-"

"Meaning it, I know", Dan sighed and shook his head, staring at his coffee cup.

Blair wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, and leaned her chin on his head. She wanted to scream that she's a cheating liar and that she doesn't deserve him, but when she tried to open her mouth in order to say something, she choked. Her mind wandered to Nate and his heart beats. The way he touched her, held her, she wasn't mistaken, it was definitely there, and she couldn't ignore it anymore. She was trying to find out if it's mutual by kissing him that night, and they ended up almost having sex, what did it even mean? Confusing thoughts consumed her mind, and she felt guilty, sad and clueless all in the same time. Epperly wasn't even that important anymore, but she was determined to finish what she started, even if it means to taste from her own medicine.

Dan kissed her hand and rested his head on her arm, closing his eyes. He was there, and he was real, and he loved her, but she was thinking of his best friend. She felt like a monster, but she didn't have the heart to end it. It was nice. It was nice to fall asleep next to someone, it was nice to hold someone's hand, it was also nice to be in love, but she wasn't, not with the right person at least.

She returned home a couple of hours later, after another failed attempt to seal the deal with Dan. She knew it wouldn't work as long as she was forcing herself, but she decided it's a matter of time until she'll fall in love with this amazing guy called Dan, it doesn't mean her feelings for someone else are standing in her way. They're definitely not. She texted Nate that she'll talk to him tomorrow, she couldn't deal wit him today.

When she fiddled with her keys to the apartment, she felt someone's hot breath on her neck. She turned around in panic and was relieved to find Nate standing behind her. She know he'd come.

"What happened that night, it can't happen again", she said when she opened the door, stepping in and removing her coat. She didn't even bother to ask what he's doing here. He followed her and closed the door behind him. She started walking towards the kitchen, trying to show him she doesn't care, when he grabbed her wrist to make her turn around and look at him. He took a step closer to her and cupped her face in his palms. He leaned in, dangerously close to her lips.

"Stop", she whispered, her brain commanding her to pull away, but her body resisting doing so.

"I know you felt it too", he whispered and tightened his hold on her face, pulling her even closer to him. She breathed in his scent and closed her eyes shut, tears threatening to fall on her cheeks any second. Why was she crying every time he was around?

She pressed her forehead against his for a moment before she gently pulled away.

"It doesn't matter how I feel, don't you get it?" she said, her lower lip trembling.

"Of course it does. Just say that you felt it too", he whispered.

"I didn't. I-I… have a boyfriend whom I cheated on, with-with you, and we're over. You were my high school boyfriend, and now-now… I just didn't" she mumbled through her tears. She wanted him to disappear, his presence made her heart pinch.

"Why are you doing this, Blair?" Nate shook his head in frustration. She just stared at him with what it looked like grief. He took a few steps towards her again, he wanted to wipe away her tears, but she stepped back, turning her head away from him. She wanted him gone, so he was ahead of her and already opened the door.

"Just text me with the details of my meeting with Epperly. I think I'll manage with the pissed off boyfriend act", he said coldly and slammed the door behind him, leaving Blair with her own decisions to make.


	13. Cosmic Love

_This is the first part of the fic finale (oh, the melodramatic me ;) Thank you all for the lovely reviews! Enjoy!_

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**Cosmic Love**

It was 9pm in the next day, and Blair was sitting on Dan's lap. They were watching a movie, at least he was. She wasn't watching, in fact, she was far away from even being there. Her mind was entirely focused on Nate and his upcoming meeting with Epperly. She tried to ignore the fact that she cried all night long after he left, but she regained her composure eventually and texted him with the time and place to meet Epperly, like he asked her to before he left. She was trying to convince herself that after the whole Epperly thing is over, so does her relationship or friendship or whatever that was she had with Nate. The strokes of Dan's hand on her thigh snapped her back to reality, and she noticed that the movie was about to end. Good thing she already saw it twice, so Dan wouldn't notice she's lagging behind on the plot lines in their usual post-movie discussions. She leaned her head on his chest and tried to focus on the movie instead of Nate. She failed.

Nate buttoned his shirt slowly as he studied himself in the mirror. He could get anyone he wanted, but all he wanted was a dark eyed gorgeous brunette who was his long before Dan and even Chuck stepped in. And now she wanted nothing to do with him. He seriously felt like a home wrecker. Not only he ignored his best friend's honest request, he also went behind his back and almost slept with his girlfriend. He was never the guy to do any of those things, but love proved him wrong, and he felt like a mess. He finished buttoning his shirt and checked his reflection in the mirror; he looked pretty decent, if he was obnoxious, he would also say fuckable. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. He didn't want to sleep with Epperly what so ever, but he was willing to do just about anything for Blair. Anything that might make her happy. Nate shook his head and smiled sadly at his reflection. He didn't sound like a man, he sounded like one of those obsessed rag-boyfriends. He practiced a manly look at the mirror before heading down to hail a cab. D-day.

Blair took a hesitated bite on her pizza slice. She was trying to get all Brooklyn-style comfortable for Dan, but it was harder than she thought, and the pizza still grossed her out. At least Dan found it amusing and laughed at her from his corner of the couch. "It's so greasy, how can you eat that twice a week?" she protested and tossed the pizza on the plate with disgust. No use in pretending, right? Dan just laughed harder at her and shook his head; he found her disgusted full of horror face hilarious. Blair tried to glare at him, but his laugh eventually caught up on her, and she began laughing with him. She imagined Nate stepping out of the cab right about now. He was never late. Her imaginary camera focused on Nate's perfect baby blue eyes, and she completely forgot to laugh along with Dan for a second, which caused him to frown at her with confusion. She noticed his gaze right before he managed to say something about that, and smiled widely at him. He shrugged as if he was imagining things and took a bite on his pizza.

Nate got out of the cab and stood outside the Oak Bar, surveying the transparent windows for Epperly with his eyes. She was no where to be found yet, so he decided to get in anyway, maybe have a drink or two. He really needed some. He sat heavily on the bar stood and signaled to the bartender. He might as well get drunk beforehand, it might numb him and make his heartache go away. He downed his drink and a picture of Blair's dimpled smile flashed before his eyes and reminded him that when it comes down to it, it's all for her, always were. It wasn't long before Epperly arrived. She immediately took a seat by his side and ordered them both a drink. He was supposed to wait twenty minutes before doing the mad boyfriend act, and then make a move on her. Oh joy!

Dan spun Blair around and around while they were dancing to an old Frank Sinatra song. It was her idea to dance, even though Dan protested a few times, claiming he was never the dancing type. She laughed at him and reminded him that Serena is still her best friend, and she told her all about his magic appearance in their first cotillion, and his dancing moves weren't less than perfect. He blushed and a sad look crossed his face before he took her hand and lead her to the living room. Blair wasn't naïve, but she did something cruel. She brought up Serena just to feel better with herself and her Nate situation. Dan's sad look didn't even bother her. She was pretty sure he wasn't over Serena even before they started dating (which was what, two weeks ago?) and the way they eyed each other in the restaurant that day, proved her assumption correct. They danced quietly when she started to question his 'I love you' statement.

Nate didn't feel like talking, luckily for him, Epperly did, and she was rambling about work for fifteen minutes now. Five more and he were supposed to be pissed on Blair's no show incident. He was pissed five minutes earlier. He wanted Blair to show up even though he knew she wouldn't. He wanted to exclaim to the world and tell her that he doesn't believe her act for a second, and that he loves her. The more he thought about that impossible scenario, the more he was depressed. He downed his third drink and nodded when Epperly asked him something. Four minutes left.

The song was over a long time ago, but Dan and Blair were still dancing. She was going to ask him. Hopefully, she won't regret it. "Did you… did you mean it when you said you love me?" She asked gently, not stopping the dance just yet. She could feel him stiffen under her arms while they kept dancing. He was awfully quiet. "I don't know", he confessed quietly after a minute of silence. "Why did you say it then?" She asked, trying to understand his motives. "I honestly don't even know. I'm not the one to say it without meaning it, just like you. I guess I just felt intimidated…" He said and spun her around, catching her in his arms right after. She didn't answer; she just buried her head in his neck. It was over, neither of them needed to say anything else. "You okay?" he asked. "Nate's with Epperly right now, and he better not mess this up" she replied. He stopped dancing.

Nate was pretty sure his mad boyfriend act went well and Epperly bought it. She was getting tipsy, and it was his signal to make a move. He placed his hand over hers while she was talking about her ex boyfriend. She pulled her hand away immediately and continued talking. She was a talkative drunk alright, but he was determined to try again.

"He came to your apartment that night didn't he?" Dan asked.

"Of course, I asked him to", Blair said, trying not to turn herself in. If only that night wouldn't end the way it did. Dan shook his head in response and smiled bitterly. Blair released her arms around him and sent him a puzzled look.

"I told him not to, I told him to back off" Dan said bitterly and walked over to the kitchen.

"He never said a word" Blair mused out loud and caught the bottle of water Dan threw in her direction. "He refused to listen though, he must really care about you", Dan shrugged and studied her. Blair just stood there and imagined Nate kissing Epperly passionately. Definitely unacceptable, even in her mind. "I should go", Blair muttered while buttoning her coat quickly. She sent Dan and apologetic look, but he just shrugged and smiled at her. He knew, and he wanted her to be happy no less. "Hey, I'm not even sad", Dan winked at her and raised his bottle of water in her honor. Blair rolled her eyes and laughed "I'm flattered, but offended in the same time". Dan laughed back in response and nodded at her in approval. "By the way, I heard that the Ben is back in Cornwall minus Serena. I would check on her, but I'm super extremely busy. You would do that, won't you?" Blair winked at him before she closed the door behind her. It was the weirdest breakup she ever had, but the best one yet. It was a welcome change. She hurried down the street, not a single cab in sight. Time was playing against her.


	14. All Of This

_Okay, so this turned out to be such a huge ass fluff, but I still like it, hope you guys will too! So, I'm pretty much done in here. Thank you for all my wonderful readers and reviews, they were amazing. Hopefully, I'll see you guys in my next fic. Enjoy! :)_

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**All Of This**

It took her forever to find a cab, and when she finally did, traffic was a bitch. She stared outside the window, tuning out the voices of honking cars and the cab driver swearing in Chinese. It was cheesy. She was going after her true love, hoping she'll get there on time before he sleeps with another woman. Twisted thing is, it's a woman she told him to sleep with. She was trying to plan a great speech in her head, but all she could think of is the irrelevant dialogue between Paul and Holy about love in a cage from Breakfast at Tiffany's. She was never the one to do the cliché, but that's all she could think of in that moment, even though she was pretty sure that Nate always loathed Breakfast at Tiffany's and watched it with her because he never had a choice. She never gave him one.

Tears started to sprinkle on her cheeks when she remembered quite vividly the way he looked at her during their first time, the way he smiled at her, asking for permission to share with her the most wonderful thing in their relationship. She realized it was never really over, it's just felt like it did in senior prom. People make mistakes, she was no other. She made a mistake by letting him go two years ago. She made a mistake by pushing him towards another woman. She made a mistake by ever believing that she was mistaken when she said always have, always will.

The cab didn't seem to move, and everything turned blurry through her eyes.

Why would he even take her after all of this? She didn't even get why he was still determined to help her and sleep with Epperly in the first place. He was always that kind of guy, the one to look out for her before looking out for himself. The thought of him with another girl made her stomach turn and she started to twist her ruby ring around her finger in effort not to scream at the cab driver, who kept yelling at his phone. The cab stopped at traffic congestion a block away from the Oak Bar, and Blair figured it might be faster for her to run instead of waiting in the cab. She fished a bunch of bills from her purse and threw them carelessly at the driver before she slammed the car door and stepped into the open.

She realized she forgot her coat in the cab few minutes later, when she figured out it's colder all of a sudden for a reason. She ran as fast as she could, glad she wore flat boots today. There was a strong thunder above her head, and a few seconds later, the sky was painted in lightning blue. By the time she arrived to the Oak Bar, a drop fell on her nose, and she could feel the tears threaten to fall on her cheeks again. She stood across the front door of the Oak Bar, hugging herself, when the rain washed away her tears. The bar was empty. She leaned on a nearby parking car and stared at the front door. Her whole body was shivering due to the cold, and the sharp drops of rain falling on her eyelids made it even more difficult to see. But there was nothing to see, she was too late.

She wanted to walk all the way home in the rain, like the cliché movie that she feels in. She wanted to cry her heart out and feel weak for once. She stood there, in the rain, for few more minutes, trying to regain her composure before hailing another cab that'll take her home. She felt like sleeping for a week. It felt like the end of the world, even though it probably wasn't. Traffic was no better on her way home, and it took her an hour to get there. She was dripping wet and all of her make up was probably smudged, but for once in her life, she didn't even care. She kicked off her shoes the minute she entered the apartment, looking for a sign of Serena. She eventually spotted the blond on her way out of the kitchen, all dressed up.

"Oh my god, B! What happened?" Serena whispered in horror, her eyes wide, while reaching for her best friend. Blair laughed bitterly and took a few steps back, avoiding Serena's hug. "Don't, you'll get wet. Where are you going?" Blair asked, eyeing Serena's dress. Looked like a special occasion, no less. "I don't know. Dan just called me and told me to meet him somewhere downtown", Serena blushed. Blair grinned at her friend. Knowing Dan, he tried to get Serena to leave their shared apartment so that she and Nate could be alone, and probably tried to get on Serena's good side again. Or vice versa? At least the latter was useful. Fastest rebound ever.

"Go, don't make him wait", Blair encouraged Serena and pointed to the door.

"Dan told me about… you know. Are you okay?" Serena asked before opening the door. Blair just shrugged and smiled at her. At least one of them was bound to be happy, right?

"Oh, you might want to check your bedroom", Serena smiled back and left the apartment, leaving a trail of perfume scent after her. Blair's clothes were heavy and dripping by now, and she started to strip on her way to the bedroom. Serena used to go shopping and come back with a dress for Blair. She couldn't resist buying something that she thought wouldlook beautifully on her best friend. When Blair entered her bedroom, a box with Oscar De La Renta's initials laid on the edge of her bed, right beside a very asleep Nate's feet. Blair gasped for air when she noticed Nate. He was still fully clothed and curled on the side of her bed, his hair all messy, looking like a lost little child. Watching him sleep was one of her favorite sights.

Blair tiptoed towards her bed, curling by his side carefully even though she was wet, and it was a matter of time until he would notice and wake up. The minute she entered the bed, his arm was wrapped around her petite body, and he pulled her closer to him releasing a sleepy content groan. She snuggled deeper into him and placed her hand on his. His finger went straight to her ruby ring, twisting it around a few times before mingling his fingers with hers. They never needed to talk about things, they weren't complicated. It was just them, simple and easy. He knew why she was here, like she knew why he was there. He disobeyed her for the first time in years, and she was more than glad he didn't listen to her just this once.

"I love you", he whispered, nuzzling her hair. Her smile grew wider and she squeezed his hand. "I love you too", she whispered back. He turned her around so she would face him, and looked into her eyes, asking for the same permission he did two years ago. She nodded and reached to his face, crushing her lips on his slowly. He cupped her face in return and kissed her back. After a solid minute, he pulled away just to look at her once more, to take the sight of her in. Suddenly, his phone started to ring, and 'Moon River' by Audrey Hepburn started to play. He reached his hand to the phone in his pocket without moving his gaze from her, and checked the caller's ID from the corner of his eye, like he was afraid that if he'll remove his eyes from her, she'll disappear. He frowned at his phone and showed her the screen. "How can you call me if you're here?" He asked and then chuckled. "That's probably Dan, I must have lost more than my coat in my way to the Oak Bar", she shrugged and smiled at him. He pressed the ignore button and placed the phone on the dresser.

"'Moon River' ringtone whenever I call?" Blair scoffed playfully. He grinned and moved a stray of hair out of her face.

"What are you saying? Are you saying I'm girly?" He responded and smiled at her softly.

"I was going to say you're sweet, but girly will do as well", She smiled and kissed him once more.

"You can't have a girly boyfriend if you're Stefano's assistant", he teased. "Eppelry is on her way to England right now, she resigned and you got promoted to replace her", he added quickly before she could say anything.

He expected her to squeal, but all she did was shake her head. "I wanted to be a powerful woman, but I never realized that I might have turned out the opposite. I'll find my path someday", she said and smiled at him. He nodded understandingly.

"I believe in you", he told her and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. He was proud of her.

In that moment, she knew she wouldn't cry no more, as long as he's by her side. She'll never let him go again, and he wasn't going anywhere.


End file.
